The HR business partner is the most critical, yet frequently ignored role in the move to HR shared services. Much attention is given to new roles created by a shared services model while little attention is given to how the business partner role must change with the new model. This is the third session of a HR Shared Services learning series that ScottMadden presented in conjunction with Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON). In this session, we discussed the important evolution of the business partner role and the skills and competencies needed to effectively support the business. To learn more, please visit www.scottmadden.com.

1. Copyright © 2015 ScottMadden, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Evolution of the HR Business Partner
A Discussion of the Changing Role of the HR Business
Partner in a Shared Services Model
June 2015

2. Copyright © 2015 by ScottMadden, Inc. All rights reserved.
Agenda
￭ About ScottMadden
￭ The HR Business Partner’s Role
￭ Recognizing the Change
￭ Transforming the HR Business Partner
￭ Additional Considerations
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3. About ScottMadden

4. Copyright © 2015 by ScottMadden, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Unique perspective built on 30 years of
energy experience
 Solutions for clean and renewables sources
of energy, smart energy management, and
sustainability
Who We Are
3
ScottMadden is a management
consulting firm with more than 30 years
of deep, hands-on experience.
We deliver a broad array of consulting
services—from strategic planning
through implementation—across many
industries, business units, and
functions.
WHAT IT TAKES
W E D O
TO GET IT DONE
R I G H T
 More than 2,400 projects
 More than 300 clients including 20 of the top
20 energy utilities
 Every business unit, every function
ENERGY
 More than 1,100 projects
 Clients range from entertainment to energy
to high tech
 Unmatched experience with more
clients and more solutions
CORPORATE&
SHAREDSERVICES
CLEANTECH&
SUSTAINABILITY

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Our experienced team has been a pioneer in corporate and
shared services since the practice began decades ago. We
employ deep, cross-functional expertise to produce practical,
measurable solutions.
E X P E R I E N C E
We have helped our clients with business case development,
shared services design, shared services build support, and
implementation.
S E R V I C E S
We have completed more than 1,100 projects since the early 90s,
including hundreds of large, multi-year implementations. Our
clients range across a variety of industries from entertainment to
energy to high tech. Our areas of expertise span the spectrum of
middle and back office corporate and shared services.
S C O P E
Our corporate and shared services
knowledge, expertise, and experience are
unmatched—no other firm has helped more
clients with more unique solutions.
Corporate & Shared Services: Unmatched Experience
4

6. DESIGN
BUILD
ASSESS
ANDPLAN
IMPROVE
 Strategic planning
 Feasibility analysis
 Benchmarking
 Leading practice assessment
 Performance evaluation
 Project planning
 Leadership education and buy-in
 Staff evaluation
 Change readiness assessment
 Site visits
 Project management
 Service and transaction center build
 Detailed organizational design
 Staffing
 Process redesign
 Technology design, selection,
implementation, and support
 Education and training
 Facility design and setup
 Change management
 Sourcing implementation
 Current state analysis
 Future state design
 Business case development
 Service delivery model design
 Work scope delineation
 Sourcing evaluation
 Organizational design
 Technology evaluation
 Transformation planning
 Implementation planning
 Change management
 Analytics setup and deployment
 Operations improvement
 Governance
 Service expansion
 Cost reduction
 Process redesign
 Technology upgrade
 Merger and acquisition integration
 Field resource development
 Customer satisfaction measurement
 Metrics and performance management
5
Capabilities

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What We Do – Human Capital
6
HR is a core specialty at ScottMadden and
has been since our inception in 1983. As
such, we have a dedicated human capital
practice that consults across geographies and
across industries, including aerospace,
consumer products, defense, education,
energy, entertainment, healthcare,
manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, retail,
technology, telecommunications,
transportation, and others.
Whether we are improving talent
management programs, revamping processes
to ensure effectiveness and regulatory
compliance, designing and implementing new
service delivery models, expanding existing
operations, or evaluating outsourcing
opportunities, we ensure our clients achieve
the business value desired.
HUMANCAPITALSERVICES
 Talent management strategy
 Talent management
 Organization design and build
 Process redesign
 Competency development
 System requirements identification
 Implementation planning
T a l e n t T r a n s f o r m a t i o n
H R T r a n s f o r m a t i o n
 HR transformation strategy
 Service delivery model design
 Business case development
 Implementation planning
 Implementation support/project management
 Operations expansion
O r g a n i z a t i o n T r a n s f o r m a t i o n
 Strategic HR and business goal definition
 Work realignment
 Organization design
 Business case development
 Implementation planning
H R A n a l y t i c s
 Organization launch
 Model development
 Dashboard creation

8. The HR Business Partner Role

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Leading Practice HR Service Delivery Model
The HR Business Partner Role
Vendors
Employees
Line Managers
Centers of Expertise (COE)
 Design programs
 Develop and govern policies
 Deliver specialty services to
Groups
 Provide Tier 3 support for
Solutions Center
Self-Service (Tier 0)
 Portal/Knowledgebase
 Interactive Voice Response
Solutions Center (Tier 1 and Tier 2)
 Answer basic questions
 Perform transactions
 Provide administrative support
 Run and distribute reports
 Analyze routine data
HR Business Partners
 Advise and consult with Group leaders and
managers
 Identify and address Group HR issues
 Assist in the design and implementation of
COE programs
 Liaise with COEs
Customers
Service Interface/
Service Delivery
Strategies, Programs,
and Policies
Key Attributes:
 Structures and
delivers services
based on type of
work performed
 Leverages
centralized and
decentralized
components
 Heightens focus on
the customer
 Increases service
delivery at entry or
lower service tiers
 Leverages
technologies
 Focuses on
proactive analysis
and responses
 Defines services
clearly and bases
services on
customer needs

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Service Delivery Model – Service Center
The service center generally handles a wide range of
administrative and transactional activities, such as general
employee inquiries and data updates
￭ The service center is staffed with customer care-oriented
employees that may or may not have HR experience
￭ Employee inquiries and transactions may be handled via
phone, chat, or online capabilities
￭ Service center staffing varies based on service scope,
deployed technologies, geographies served, and other similar
service delivery design elements
￭ The split between Tier 1 and Tier 2 staffing varies depending
on service scope, but can approach 50 – 50
￭ A continuous review of operations and data to identify and
address issues proactively and expand scope based on
business needs is the key to the service center’s sustained
success
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The HR Business Partner Role
Tier 1
 Administrative Support
 Data Entry
 Inquiry Management
 System Support
 Transaction Support
Tier 2
 Employee Relations
 Leaves Management
 TA Administration
 Workforce
Administration
Support from Third-Party Providers

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Service Delivery Model – Tier 3
Centers of Expertise (COEs) own and direct the programmatic
aspects of human resources, such as program design and
deployment, policy development and interpretation, and
enterprise-wide functional data collection and analysis
￭ COEs usually exist for Benefits, Compensation, Employee
Relations, Labor Relations, Talent Acquisition, and/or Talent
Management
• HRIS is frequently grouped with an HR Operations
organization that includes the service center and
continuous improvement
￭ Staffing levels vary greatly for individual COEs and are
influenced by service scope, deployed technologies,
geographies served, and other similar service delivery design
elements
￭ For COEs to be most successful, it is important that they report
centrally. However, we see a variety of staffing models with
respect to where resources are located
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The HR Business Partner Role
Tier 3
 Employee/Labor Relations
 Global Mobility
 Talent Acquisition
 Talent Management
 Total Rewards
Functional Specialists

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Service Delivery Model – HR Business Partners
HR Business Partners work with leaders and managers to
facilitate the success of human capital-related business goals
￭ Business partners are focused on advisement activities and
strategic interventions
• This work often shifts based on business goals, strengths,
and weaknesses
￭ If possible, business partners are deployed locally. In
organizations with wide geographic footprints or a large
number of locations (e.g., retail), business partners may be
organized regionally or in “pods”
￭ Business partner staffing generally ranges between one HR
professional per 250 to 500 employees. Regional deployment
models frequently fit this range, but required travel needs to be
considered as staffing levels are set
￭ A key to the success of a leading practice service delivery
model is a complement of well skilled business partners.
Critical skills include analytical, business acumen,
communication, organization, problem solving, and self-
directedness
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The HR Business Partner Role
HR Business Partners
 Employee Relations
Investigations
 Labor Avoidance/
Arbitration Support
 Talent Advisement
 Program Implementation
 Compliance Management

13. Recognizing the Change

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 Manage Talent
 Develop Leaders
 Drive Performance
 Optimize Work Life
HRBPs remain
focused on the business and human capital
strategies
Change in Roles and Responsibilities
Recognizing the Change
13
Transformed ModelTraditional Model
Transformed/
Outsourced
Re-aligned/Retained
Administration
(20%)
Strategy
and Policies
(20%)
Operations and
Programs
(60%)
Strategy
and Policies
(5%)
Operations and
Programs
(30%)
Administration
(65%)
~45% of administrative
workload shifts to the HR
service center

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Change in Roles and Responsibilities (Cont’d)
Unfortunately, the business often looks at the HRBP as an administrative support function versus a strategic partner, because
typically the majority of the HRBP’s time is spent supporting people movement and changes within the organization prior to
implementing the new service delivery model.
Recognizing the Change
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Delivery Channel Breakdown by Position
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
VP /
Director
Manager Specialist HR Rep. /
Gen.
HR Asst. /
Coord.
Contractor Liaison
Strategic Functional Advisement Transactional
Knowing your current state activity breakdown for the HRBP and across the HR function will help you
understand and quantify the degree of change required for the organization.
This example shows
that the HR Generalist in
this company spends a
significant amount of time
on transactional activities
despite also having HR
assistants on their staff.

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Overlooking the Change Required
During an implementation of a new service delivery model, a lot is changing and the change management and training associated
with new roles and responsibilities is critical.
Recognizing the Change
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HRBPs are assumed to have the skills and competencies required to perform in their
new roles without being trained appropriately.
Population Jan ‘12 Feb ‘12 Mar ‘12 Apr ‘12 May ‘12 Jun’12 Jul‘12
Key Project Events
Executive Committee
HR Leadership
HR Managers
All HR
Business Leadership
All Employees
Change Agents
8 9
3 4 5
1 2
Marketing Campaign
Simulation
Training
Process Finalization
Dev Training Materials
6 7
10
Technology Planning
Technology Build
Content Load
System Testing
Go Live
11
12 14 15 16 1713
18 19
22 23 24 25 27
28 29 30– Weekly Touch Points
21
26
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Change activities
tend to focus on:
 Redesigned HR
processes
 Start/stop/continu
e activities
 Customer impacts
 HR impacts
 Service center
technologies
 Service center
processes
What’s
Missing
??

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Competency Shift
As a result of the HRBP’s change in responsibilities from a role more administrative in nature to a role more strategic in nature,
there is a change in the competencies required for the position.
Recognizing the Change
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 Knowledge of the Business
 Analytical
 Problem-solving
 Communication
 Systemic Thinking
 Ambiguity (ability to deal with)
 Adaptability
 Organization
 Teamwork
 Insightful
 Knowledge of the Business
 Attention to Detail
 Time Management
 Process Management
 Customer Focus
 Communication
 Self-directedness
 Teamwork
New CompetenciesOld Competencies
Strategic Shift

18. Transforming the HR Business Partner

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Timing and Approach
Ideally, the role of the business partner is examined and transformed during the implementation of the shared services model.
However, this process can also be done at a later point in time if it was not completed initially.
￭ Timing considerations include:
• Integration with shared services implementation plan
– Process redesign
– Staffing
– Training
• Integration with the organization’s performance management cycle
￭ There are three main phases in transforming the role of the HR business partner:
Transforming the HR Business Partner
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AssessDefine Develop

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Define Assess Develop
Define
In the Define phase, it is important for the organization to clearly identify and communicate to the business what constitutes a
successful HR business partner in the new organization.
Transforming the HR Business Partner
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Existing Competency Model
 Does a common competency model exist within the organization?
 Does it reflect the future needs for HR business partner role? If not, what else is needed?
 Do you have agreement to define new competencies if needed?
Customer Input
 How will you gather customer input as you define the future needs?
 What process will you use to capture this information?
 Who needs to be involved?
Competency Definitions
 Are there clear, easily understandable definitions for the competencies with examples?
 Have you defined “what good is”?
 How can you relate the competency descriptions and desired performance to the HR business
partner job activities?

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Assess
During the Assess phase, the organization will design and conduct the assessment of the HR business partners, which will result
in a cross-company view of the strength of your HR business partner community and potential opportunities for improvement.
Transforming the HR Business Partner
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Define Assess Develop
Methodology and Timing
 What methodology will be used to complete the assessment? Web-based survey, interviews,
other?
 Will multiple raters be used? Who and how many?
 Will you use a self-assessment to supplement other raters?
 How much time will you allow for completing the assessment?
Review Process
 Will the approach be piloted with a test group?
 Will managers/supervisors have an opportunity to review results before they are final?
 Will a review panel be leveraged to compare results and ensure consistency across areas?
 What weighting will be given to inputs from different raters?
Communications
 How will you communicate the assessment to the participants and overall organization?
 What are the important messages?
 How can you minimize the perceived impact to those who are being assessed?

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Develop
The Develop phase involves analyzing the results of the assessment and determining how gaps will be closed in skill levels. By
readily communicating training plans as a result of the assessment, a message is delivered to your HR business partners that
you are willing to invest in them as well as the new service delivery model.
Transforming the HR Business Partner
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Define Assess Develop
Sharing Results
 Who will communicate the results of the assessment with the HR business partner?
 Will the feedback be provided during the annual performance review?
 Will a separate discussion related to the transition of the HR business partner role be needed?
Transition Needs
 What are the criteria for determining which employees to develop versus redeploy?
 What training will be needed to develop staff to meet future needs?
 What tools and process changes are needed to support the changes?
Ongoing Measurement
 Will the assessment be repeated at regular intervals to measure success? (e.g., annually)
 How will you measure success?

23. Additional Considerations

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Potential Issues
In addition, aspects of the new design may prove to make the transformation of the HR business partner difficult to achieve
￭ Ineffective process redesign
• Limited use of manager self-service
• Required HR approvals
￭ Indirect reporting relationship to HR
• Differing priorities for the business
• Differing priority for the individual
￭ Inability to appreciate HR’s strategic value
• Inability for the business to see HR in any other respect than an administrative support function
Additional Considerations
23

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24
Ensuring Success
Additional Considerations
Ultimately, all three of these elements are needed to ensure a successful
transition of the HRBP
Strategic Partner
Aligned HR
Vision
Business
Alignment
Desired
Competencies

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Courtney Jackson
Partner
ScottMadden, Inc.
2626 Glenwood Avenue
Suite 480
Raleigh, NC 27608
courtneyjackson@scottmadden.com
O: 919-781-4191 M: 919-672-7521
Tina Krebs
Partner and HR Practice Lead
ScottMadden, Inc.
2626 Glenwood Avenue
Suite 480
Raleigh, NC 27608
tinakrebs@scottmadden.com
O: 919-781-4191
Contact Us
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